


Please Don't Go, Drifter

by Symphoenae



Series: Musical Callum Saga [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Im here to make Callum suffer im sorry, Pre S3 finale, Songfic, also I feel Rayla on a personal level, angst is easy with him, hes a good boy but, please give him a hug, they're just kids someone love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22180432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symphoenae/pseuds/Symphoenae
Summary: Callum had been acting weird for the past few days. She'd noticed it first when they had left her home, the Silvergrove. Sure, he'd been his normal self mostly, annoying her and trying to get her to talk, but after she told him to let it go and Nyx found them, she began to notice an unfamiliar look on his face each glance she took. She didn't really pay attention at that point, selfishly she thinks now, as she was deep in a funk about being Ghosted. But their journey had continued, and after their little confessions in the Midnight Desert, her mind drifted more to her dumb human than to her own feelings. It was at this point she noticed that there was something off about him.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Musical Callum Saga [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624684
Comments: 3
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> EDEN owns my life. He genuinely saved my stupid ass from doing something stupid when I was going through a really rough few years. Even if he doesn't own my life, I owe him it anyways. Such a good singer... all of his songs slap. I'd recommend listening to more than just the one I'm writing into this song.
> 
> SONG: Love, Death, Distraction by EDEN

Callum had been acting weird for the past few days. She'd noticed it first when they had left her home, the Silvergrove. Sure, he'd been his normal self mostly, annoying her and trying to get her to talk, but after she told him to let it go and Nyx found them, she began to notice an unfamiliar look on his face each glance she took. She didn't really pay attention at that point, selfishly she thinks now, as she was deep in a funk about being Ghosted. But their journey had continued, and after their little confessions in the Midnight Desert, her mind drifted more to her dumb human than to her own feelings. It was at this point she noticed that there was something off about him. That same unfamiliar emotion behind his eyes glinted strong as ever, swimming in the beautiful green orbs that looked at her with such adoration she could melt. It was almost like he was… mourning?

Rayla didn't like this look on him. She liked his face bright and happy, eyes alight with wonder or excitement, oh she could look at him forever. But that Callum hadn't really been around for the past few days, and it made her nervous. Had she done something wrong? Maybe he was regretting what happened in the Midnight Desert?

She shook herself from that train of thought. Despite whatever was bothering him, he'd still taken time to reassure her he didn't regret anything with the little things- taking her hand softly, looking at her in pure adoration, albeit slightly less intense than normal. Callum might be awkward, but he was pretty well in tune with his emotions. If there was anything sitting wrong in his heart he would tell her… right?

Well, in his own time if anything. She couldn't force him to talk after she was so cut off about her own feelings. That was blatant hypocrisy.

“Hey, Rayla?” Callum’s soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she blinked.

“Yeah?”

“It's getting late. I'm taking the watch tonight- don't give me that look, you've done so much already and you deserve some rest. We're getting closer to the Spire and you need to be well rested as much as I. So this isn't debatable.” Callum stated firmly, cutting off any protest she would have thrown at him.

“I… okay. Just… if you feel too tired to go all night, wake me, okay?” Rayla asked softly.

There was something akin to a steel wall in Callum’s eyes as he nodded, gaze not leaving her. They stayed like that for a moment, just staring at each other, before Callum cleared his throat and looked away.

“Goodnight Rayla.”

* * *

_How do I say_

_All I want just falls away_

_I don't know how to keep us in time, time_

Rayla hadn’t really gone to sleep after that. She was pretending, or for a better explanation, she was too concerned about Callum. He was sitting at the mouth of the cave, away from the fire she and Zym were curled up around. She peeked at him every so often, but he didn’t move from his spot where he was staring out into the cold night. 

_Mind is changing_

_All you want so far is love, death and some kind of higher high_

_You're reaching (Reaching)_

After awhile though, she started hearing a noise coming from him. It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t happy either. It was a long noise, almost one noise, but broken up into chunks.

It suddenly occurred to her that he was actually _humming._

_And if we're all just drifting back_

_Phones in the air_

_Face to the sky_

_And all this time to realize_

_There's nothing stopping you_

_From leaving_

Rayla’s heard him hum before, so it wasn’t too surprising to her. But it was usually a happier tone than this. She found herself frowning again- she didn’t want him to be sad. She wanted her ridiculous, curious human back to normal. She was considering getting up and going to his side, to ask him what was wrong and hope that he told her, but another noise stopped her. A different noise.

_“And please don't go, drifter..._

_And please don't go, drifter…!”_

This was new. Rayla’s never heard him actually sing before, only humming from him. He was quiet, but not enough to evade the sharpened hearing of her elven ears. His voice was lower than she’d expected it to be, considering his normal voice. Then again, she supposed that singing was a different process to talking entirely. But where was this all coming from? What was he singing about? What did his words mean?

_What do I say?_

_All that time just thrown away_

_I don't know how to keep lives apart, they're bleeding_

She was almost entranced by his voice, even as he slipped back into only humming. His pattern of humming make it seem like he knew exactly what he was doing. Maybe this was a song he was remembering now and performing unknowingly for her? As much as she enjoyed hearing Callum sing for the first time, it still bothered her that something was bothering him. Oh, she really wanted to go to his side now... The wistfulness in his voice had nearly knocked all of the breath out of her lungs.

Unfortunately for her, Zym beat her to it. Seemingly having the same idea, the baby dragon uncurled himself from his place near the fire, giving a soft yap before prancing towards Callum. Rayla halfheartedly whispered to him to stay where he was and not bother the human, but the baby dragon didn't listen.

_Mind is racing_

_All you want so far is love, death and some kind of higher high_

_You're reaching (Reaching)_

_And if we're all just drifting by_

_Phones in the air_

_Face to the sky_

_And all this time to realize_

_There's nothing stopping you_

_From leaving_

Callum broke in his humming as Zym bounded over and made himself comfy in his lap, giving a bit of a purr.

"Hey buddy." Callum breathed out softly, giving his head a few scratches. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up? You should be sleeping, you're a growing dragon after all."

Rayla heard Zym yap again, as if to protest that statement. She heard Callum chuckle softly as he shifted a little in place.

"Yeah... You know, when we finally get you back to your mother, all of this will end. This adventure. We're so close now, and I... I don't think I'm ready for that. These few weeks have probably been the best of my life, I'm- I'm not ready for this to end." Callum mumbled, his voice wavering a little, breaking Rayla's heart all over again. "And... once we do this, this act of peace, surely your mother will pardon Rayla of everything, right? Pardon her and her home should un-ghost her for it. And... when they do, she'll go home. And I'll go home to Katolis and become the good-for-nothing step-prince again."

Rayla frowned deeply. Why did he have to be so hard on himself all of the time? She wished he could love himself like she...

"I don't want to live without Rayla, Zym. It's selfish, and it'd probably never work, but I can't just 'go home' anymore. But who am I to stop her from going home, being what she wants to be? I could never do that." It was little more than a whisper at this point, his voice getting even more wavered.

Rayla almost cried right then and there. What was she doing? Why couldn't she will her body to get up and move, to old him tightly and promise him that wouldn't happen?

_And please don't go, drifter_

_And please don't go, drifter_

_And please don't go, drifter_

_And please don't go, drifter_

_And please don't go, drifter_

_And please don't go, drifter_

_(And please don't go)_

Callum's singing drifted off into nothing as he sighed. Rayla watched his back as he picked Zym up in his arms, and shutting her eyes quickly before he noticed her awake before he turned around and brought Zym back to his spot near the fire, which the dragon decided that the warmth of the flame was better than what sitting in the human's lap offered.

"Get some sleep, Zym. We'll be traveling a lot tomorrow, you and Rayla need this more than me. It's not like I'd be able to sleep anyways..." He muttered with a grumbling sigh. "And don't tell her anything I said when day breaks, alright? She's got enough to deal with on her own. She doesn't need my feelings butting in like that."

Oh, Callum. Sweet, stupid, selfless Callum... She knew she should say something, speak up now, but she still couldn't find the will to speak or move. She opened her eyes again to look at him, where he'd retaken his position at the mouth of the cave, humming the same song he'd been before. She let out the tiniest sigh, closing her eyes again and willing herself to get some sleep, for Callum's sake.

She'd talk to him about it in the morning.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i forgot about this thing ngl lmao fuck
> 
> Imagine me writing actual fics and not shitposts
> 
> SONG: love; not wrong (brave) - EDEN (can you tell I love this man)

_"And I know I've been closing myself off, unsure_  
_I know I've been real hard to reach, harder to love_  
_And I know it's tiring, this shit is getting old_  
  
_But please, just hold on to me_  
_I've slayed these demons, they're old to me_  
_Recurring dreams, this is happening_  
_Tearing my seams; lucid reality..."_

He was singing again. Singing, just like he was last night. Rayla was surprised to wake up and find him still awake himself. He'd actually made it through the night watch. This wasn't the song he'd been singing last night, though. What was this now? She took in the first few lines she'd heard him sing lowly, thinking about each word, each sentence. Was this about how he'd been the past few days? Also, he cursed? Rayla'd never heard him do that before.

_"And I just want you to feel love (love!)_  
_Before it disappears (not!)_  
_'Cause we are more than we're not (wrong!)_  
_So never fear to feel (brave!)_  
_Good when everything's lost (love!)_  
_And find some beauty there (not!)_  
_'Cause all we ever are is brave (brave!)_  
_And your world's not ending, ooh...."_

Callum wasn't aware of her being awake yet. To be fair, she hadn't actually gotten up yet anyways. She was too focused on the sound of his voice, and the raw emotion in it that she couldn't quite place anywhere. Either way, he seemed to be getting rather into it. Rayla decided that it would be better off for her to listen until he was done, instead of interrupting him. She didn't want to startle him.  
  
_"So I won't go, I'm still living in the middle of a one-way war_  
_I can't fight it but I'm trying to be what you want, yeah_  
_You can't sing but you're singing this anyway_  
_And anyway, so please just hold on to me_  
_This is no end, we're not finished here_  
_Finding our way, we're just changing_  
_Becoming more than I think of me, yeah_  
_These fears in my head, dreams in my bed_  
_They won't get the best of me_  
_'Cause I chase dreams 'till the end, these nightmares all bend_  
_Silver linings are all I need_  
  
_So, please, just hold on to me_  
_I've slayed these demons, they're old to me_  
_Recurring dreams, this is happening_  
_Tearing my seams from reality_  
  
_And I just want you to feel love_  
_Before it disappears_  
_'Cause we are more than we're not_  
_So never fear to feel_  
_Good when everything's wrong (love!)_  
_And find some beauty there (not!)_  
_'Cause all we ever are is brave."_

Rayla waited as his singing cut off suddenly, wondering if he was going to continue, but it didn't seem like he was. Weighing her options carefully, she sat up and pretended that she'd just woken up then. Yawning to seal the deal, Callum's shoulders jolted a little before he shifted and turned around to face her, giving her a small smile.

"Morning, Rayla." It was simple and lacked effort.

Rayla cocked her head to the side and peered at him, studying. She watched him shift a little uncomfortably under her gaze. It pained a part of her that he was so cut off so suddenly because of what she'd heard last night. It hadn't been that long since the Midnight Desert; her heart twisted at the thought of him completely cutting her off. This wasn't fair. When Rayla loved, she loved hard, didn't he know that?

"Please, Callum. Please talk to me." The words escaped Rayla's lips before she could think about it; small, wavering, pleading.

Even Callum seemed taken aback by how small she sounded. "I..." He paused, eyes scrunching up slightly as if he was in pain. "It's nothing. Just... stupid things. Don't worry about it.

His denial of the truth made her hurt even more.

"Callum..." Rayla mumbled, steeling herself for what would come next. "I know what's happening. Last night, I heard you. Please, please don't act like nothing is wrong. I want to help you."

Callum's eyes grew wide at her confession. He covered his face with his hands and turned around, letting out a strangled noise. "You weren't supposed to hear any of that. You were supposed to be sleeping, I was so sure I could just vent to myself and Zym and nothing would come of it, you could go home without anything to worry about, and I'd go back to Katolis to live with Ezran in a castle that's now so much lonelier than it used to be. You deserve to go home and be happy, y'know? I have no right to ruin that. You belong here in Xadia, and I don't. We're bound to leave each other after this no matter how I think about it and I..." He was rambling, falling into emotional panic, and Rayla didn't know what to do. He removed his hands from his face, where rivers of tears were flowing as he grimaced at the elf. "I'm crying and I know that you'll be worried but no amount of selfish wanting of mine should stop you from going home. It... it hurts. A lot. Thinking about this, and how we only have a little time left. But... I think I can get through it in time."

Rayla was stunned. Everything he said, it made her feel so grateful that he'd put her happiness first, but seeing him before her with such pain in his eyes, it hurt more than anything she'd felt before. His chin was quivering, and she knew he was barely holding it all in. If she didn't do something, say something, fast, she might see him really devolve into an anguished mess. And ever since he'd cred in her arms at the Moon Nexus, she never wanted to see him upset again. So, without much of a second thought, she grabbed him by the scarf like she had before, but instead of kissing him, she enveloped him in the tightest, warmest hug she could manage.

"Don't you EVER think I'd just abandon you like that. Oh... oh Callum. Never. Never." There was a waver in her voice as she felt her own eyes sting with unshed tears.

Callum let out a hiccup. "But... Don't you want to go home? That's where you belong, isn't it?"

Rayla shook her head. "Maybe I used to. But a special someone made me realize I belong somewhere else." She paused. "And do you know where that is?" She asked softly, pulling away just so she could look him in the eyes.

He blinked, nose sniffling and eyes watering. "Uh..."

Rayla gave him the warmest, most loving smile. "It's with you, ya dummy." She whispered, leaning in and kissing him.

He tasted salty, like tears, but that took the back-burner in Rayla's head over the sheer pleasure of just kissing him. Her dumb human. Her dumb, loyal, brave, amazing, wonderful... She really was a lucky elf, wasn't she?

"I'm sorry..." Callum mumbled as they broke apart, downcast. Rayla took to peppering gentle kisses to his cheeks and under his eyes, kissing his tears away. "I'm really stupid. Made more stress for the both of us."

Rayla stroked his hair fondly. "Hey. You're okay. We're okay. It's like what you were singing earlier. _And your world's not ending~"_

Callum managed a wet chuckle at that. "Ah... you heard that one too. I think your singing voice is better."

Rayla preened under his praise. "Why thank you! But your voice has its perks too, you know. It's very nice and smooth. I like it. Care to serenade me sometime?"

Another laugh from the human. "Ha ha. I'll consider it." He paused, his eyes growing softer. "Thank you. For... saving me from that." He bumped his nose into hers. "It means a lot."

Rayla smiled warmly again, nuzzling against him. "Of course." _Dummy, as if I wouldn't do such a thing... don't you know I love you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> facedesks THIS IS FUCKIN. DONE BYE
> 
> Ugggghhhh this isn't even good but I had to finish it tm
> 
> DISCORD: https://discord.gg/nM7XTfQ  
> (Please do note that when joining the server you have to post in the #introductions channel first so I can assign you a proper role and then you'll have access to the main chat~)


End file.
